Rail-tying device



Dec. 31, 1929. s. w. FINCH -1,741,151

RAIL TYING DEVICE Filed May 28, 1927 Patented Dec. 31, 1929 UNl'lEDSTATES harem" m nAIL-TYING DEVICE Application filed May 28,

1,630,697 issue-d to me by the United States Patent Office relating torail-tying devices.

My present device relates particularly to simplified forms of the unitscomprising the device and'to improvement in the method of placingtension on said units. From the accompanying drawings it will be notedthat 0 each grab hook is preferably made from a single metal rod bent toform; likewise each.

tie hook is preferably made from a single metal rod bent to form, andhaving one end sharpened so as to penetrate readily one of the surfacesof the tie. hooks is connected to the tie attachment unit by means of abolt as indicated. It is to be un lerstood, however, that my inventionis not limited to the use of grab hooks or tie attacha merit means ofthe particular bent-to-i orm type shown, but my invention covers alsograb hooks and tie attachment means of the type shown in my Patent No1,630,696, issued May 31, 192?, the form of the grab hooks and of thetie-attachment means shown in the said patont being, however, modifiedby having a round hole (instead of the square hole shown in my saidprevious patent) through the lower end of the grab hook, and the upperend oi the rail attachment means being modi- .i c as shown in theaccompanying drawings so to pro vent the turning of the nuts. Thus 1:n'ovide for the adjustment of the tension between the grab hooks and thetie attachlo ment unit by means of the turi'ling of the bolt itselfashereinafter specified and described.

An important feature of my present device lies in the fact thatordinarily the ballast supporting a railroad tracksubstantially coversEach pair of grab 1927. Serial Nb. 195,015.

the ties so that there is only a small open space between the bottom ofa rail and the surface of the subjacent ballast. .his makes it somewhatditlicult to adjust the tension of a rail-tie device when made in theform shown in my said application, Serial No. 167,781, without reachingdown through the ballast with a wrench for the purpose of turning thenut. In my present device it is necessary only toplaee the wrench closeunder the rail in order to contact the head of the bolt and, by turningthe bolt, adjust the tension of the device on the rail and tie.

The device is shown in the accompanying draw ings wnerein Fig. 1 is aside elevation showing the railtying device as it appears when inoperation in connection with a rail and a tie, the tie being shown incross section.

F 2 is a view, partly in section, taken on the line 2 of Fig 1.

Fig 3 is a plan view, partly in section, taken on the line 33 of Fig. 1.

In tl s drawings 1 denotes a rail such as is used in ordinary railwaytracks, said rail having a or flange 2.

1s tie.

42 l: are grab hooks, one part 4 of each of which overlaps the edge ofthe flange 2, the lower end oi each grab hook having an opening of aform which permits the turning of the bolt-like member 5, the shank ofwhich boltlike member is preferably round (though it may be oil anyother desired shape which will not interfere with its turning) andextends downwardly through the openings in the grab hooks l and alsothrough openings in the tie contacting means 6,preferably through anear-like portion 7 of said tie contacting means which ear-like portionhas an opening sufii ciently close to the upright portion 8 to preventthe nut 9 from revolving when the bolt 5 is turned for the purpose ofadjusting tension between the grab hooks and the rail-contacting member.

As hereinbefore stated, the preferred form of grab hook which I employin this invention is made, as illustrated, from a single piece of metalrod bent to form. The grab hook in this form may be produced at very lowcost and has been found to be thoroughly efficient in operation.However, as hereinbefore stated, my invention also covers a grab hook ofthe general form shown in my Patent No. 1,630,696, issued May 31, 1927,the only change necessary being the substitution for the square holethere shown of a hole which will permit the'turning of the bolt 5.

The preferred means of fastening the rail to the tie by the use of mypresent device involves, as illustrated in the accompany ng drawings, atie-contacting element 6, having ear 7, through which a bolt 5 passesand 1s secured in place by means of the nut 9 (which nut 9 is preventedfrom turning by reason of the fact that one side thereof contacts theupright portion 8 of the tie contacting member 6), the said boltextending downwardly through openings in the grab hooks 4, the head ofthe bolt lying above said openings. It is obvious that with the grabhooks, b olt and tiecontacting member in the position thus indicated,the tension between the elements may be adjusted by inserting a wrenchin the opening 10 between the bottom of the rail and the upper surfacesof the grab hooks and turning the head portion 11 of the bolt 5. Byturning the bolt and keeping the nut from turning (instead of by turningthe nut and keeping the bolt from turning as is suggested in my PatentNo. 1,630,696, issued May 31, 1927,) it is possible to adjust thetension between a tie and a superimposed rail without disturbing theballast, since to do this it is necessary only to place the jaw of thewrench close up under the lower surface of the rail flange in order toengage the bolt head and turn the bolt. This feature is found inpractice to be a great advantage. This type of rail-tie device also hasthe advantage of minimizing the likelihood of any tampering byunauthorized persons, since the entire device,

exce it the fin ers 1- shown in Fi 3 is uracl f: t) 7 tically invisibleto casual observers, the device being in large part either underneaththe rail or beneath the ballast so that it attracts very littleattention, the fingers 4 having much the appearance of ordinaryanti-creeping devices such as are frequently used on modern up-to-daterailroads.

Aside from the obvious advantage of making each tie-attachment memberand grab hook from a single piece of metal rod bent to form in themanner indicated, thus reducing expense for material and saving the costof drilling holes, etc, the outstanding feature of my present inventionis the special adjustment feature above described, whereby adjustment oftensionmay be made by turning the bolt itselfby applying the wrench tothe head instead of turning the nut, as suggested in my previous PatentNo. 1,630,696, issued May 31, 1927.

It is, of course, to be understood that the bolt heads 11 may be square,hexagonal, or of any other convenient shape. The nuts 9 are preferablysquare so as to prevent turning with reference to the tie-contactingunit 6 but may be of any other suitable form adapted to resist suchturning motion.

While a pair of hook-shaped tie-contacting units for a single tie isshown, my invention also covers a single tie-contacting unit extendingacross the under side of the tie provided such unit is adapted tofunction as stated in connection with the other tension ing means hereinshown and described. Thus such single tie-contacting unit might consistof a straight, or substantially straight, piece of metal, provided onlythat such unit has means adjacent the end thereof "adapted to receivethe lower end of the bolt 5 and to prevent the turning of the nut 9. Asection of channeled or angular steel with holes at each end would, ofcourse, serve this purpose.

It will, of course, be understood that the same rail-attachment meanswhich serves to prevent the rotation of the nut 9 might be used toprevent the rotation of the head 11 of the bolt 5, if the position ofthe bolt were reversed so that the threaded portion extended upwardlyinstead of downwardly as shown.

What I claim is 1. A rail-tying device having an element comprising apair of grab hooks adapted to embrace the base flange of a rail, atie-contacting element, and adjustable tensioning means intermediatesaid elements, one of said grab hooks consisting of a metal rod bent toform at one end a hook portion and bent to form at the other end anopening for the reception of the shank of a bolt.

2. A railtying device comprising a rail grappling member consisting of ametal rod bent to form at one end of said member a hook portion and bentto form at the other end an gpiening for the reception of the shank of a3. A rail-tying device comprising a tiegrappling member consisting of asingle metal rod bent to form at one end of said member a hook portionand bent to form at the other end an opening for the reception of theshank of a bolt.

4:. A rail-tying device comprising a tie- .grapplingmember consisting ofa metal rod bent double to form at one end of said member hook portionsand bent to form at the double end an opening for the reception of theshank of a bolt.

5. A rail-tying device comprising a railgrappling member consisting of ametal rod bent to form,'a hook-shaped tie-grappling member consisting ofa metal rod'bent toform, and adjustable tensioning means intermediatesaid members.

6. A rail-tying device comprising a member consisting of a pair of grabhooks adapted to embrace therebetween the base flange of a rail, atie-contacting member, and adjustable tensioning means intermediate saidmembers, said tensioning means comprising a bolt having a shank portionadapted to eX- tend through aligned openings in the grab hooks and thetie-contacting member, said bolt being also adapted to turn in saidopenings and the nut 011 said bolt being held by the tie-contactingmember against turning movement; whereby the distance between the grabhook member and the tie-contacting member may be adjusted by turning thesaid bolt.

7. A rail-tying device consisting of railgrappling means, tie-contactingmeans, and intermediate adjustable tensioning means, said tensioningmeans consisting in part of a bolt adapted to extend through and turnwith relation to the rail-grappling means and also consisting in partor" a nut adapted to be held against rotation by the tie-contactingmeans; whereby the tension between said rail-grappling andtie-contacting means may be regulated by turning said bolt.

8. In a rail-tying device, rail-attachment means comprising a metal rodbent to form at one end of said means a grab hook and bent to form atthe other end of said means an opening for the reception of the shank ofa bolt.

9. In a rail-tying device, tie-attachment means comprising a metal rodbent in such manner as to form at one end of said means an opening forthe reception of the shank of a bolt.

10. In a rail-tying device, a tie-attachment unit comprising a metal rodbent in such manner as to provide at one end of said unit opening forthe reception of the shank of a bolt and also to provide means forpreventing the rotation of the nut portion of the bolt when the shank ofthe bolt extends through said opening.

11. A rail-tying device comprising railattachment means, tie-attachmentmeans and a bolt-like member located wholly beneath the rail and.adapted to regulate the tension on said means when said bolt-like memberis rotated.

12. In a rail-tying device, a rail, a tie, an upstanding bolt-likemember the head of which is adapted to lie directly below the base flane of a rail, tie-contacting means, and rail-contacting means, thebolt-like member being intermediate said means and being adaptedtensionally to connect the rail and tie when said bolt-like member isrotated.

13. In a rail-tying device, tensioning means operative by the turning ofa bolt-like member, said member being adapted to be 10- cated whollybeneath the rail.

14:. In a rail tying device, rail-grappling means, tie-contacting means,and adjustable tensioning means, said tensioning means comprising amovable member having a portion. located intermediate the bottom of therail and the rail-grappling means and adapted for turning and astationary member held against rotation by the tie-contacting means,whereby the tension between said rail-grap pling and tie-contactingmeans may be regulated by turning said movable member.

15. In a rail tying device, rail-grappling means, tie-contacting means,and adjustable tensioning means, said tensioning means comprising abolt-like member containing a head portion and a nut portion, one ofsaid portions being movable and located intermediate the bottom of therail and the railgrappling means and the other of said portions beingstationary and held against rotation by the tie-contacting means;whereby the tension between said rail-grappling and tie-contacting meansmay be regulated by turning said movable portion.

16. In a rail tying device, rail grappling means, tie-contacting means,and adjustable tensioning means, said tensioning means comprising abolt-like member containing a head portion and a nut portion, the headportion being movable and located intermediate the bottom of the railand the rail-grappling means, the nut portion being stationary and heldagainst rotation by the tie-contacting means, whereby the tensionbetween said railgrappling and tie-contacting means may be regulated byturning said head portion.

17. In a rail tying device, rail grappling means, tiecontacting means,and adjustable tensioning means comprising a movable member and astationary member, said tiecontacting means comprising a metal rod bentto form an upright portion and an earlike portion, the latter containingan opening for the reception of one member of the adjustable tensioningmeans, said opening in the ear-like portion being sutliciently close tothe upright portion of said metal rod to prevent rotation of thestationary member of said tensioning means.

18. In a rail tying device, rail-grappling means, tie-contacting meanscomprising a metal rod bent at substantially a right angle to form anupright portion and an ear-like portion having an opening therein closeto said upright portion, and adjustable tensioning means comprising amovable member and a stationary member, one of said members passingthrough the opening in said earlike portion and one of said membersbeing held against rotation by contact with the upright portion of saidmetal rod.

19. In a rail tying device, rail-grappling means, tie-contactlng meanscomprising a metal nod bent at substantially a right angle to form anupright porti on and anve a r-l ike poytiol l-whaying an ppeningthereinclose to said:up rightgportion and adjustable ten ioning meanscomprising a bolt-like mem-; ber containing a shank portion and a nutpql tion, the shank po rtiqn passing-through the' gpening in saideat-likeportion and the nut portion being heldagainst rotation by co-ptqact, With-the upright portion of said metal rod. 1

In fies tiniony-whereof I have affixed my

